All of this luscious choral and orchestral music was inspired by the works of Goethe and would have been familiar to 19th-century audiences. Barbara Hölzl does the honors in the Alto Rhapsody; other works include Mendelssohn's cantata Die erste Walpurgisnacht ("The First Walpurgis Night") and his orchestral overture Meeresstille und glückliche Fahrt ("Calm Sea and Happy Voyage") and Schumann's Requiem for Mignon, taken from Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship.

"Goethe's more extended works, with their Shakespearean mixture of simplicity and gnarly depth, fascinated composers of the era…. Strongly recommended for anyone who has ever tried to get a grip on Goethe's writing."—All Music Guide